Rob Halford Discussed Collaboration With Ghost’s Tobias Forge

Judas Priest singer Rob Halford said he was hoping to collaborate with Ghost frontman Tobias Forge, among others, as he continued to experiment with his voice.

He also noted that, after having fronted bands since the late ‘60s, he's finally reached a point where he feels confident with his abilities. “My overall vocal performance is finally something I can listen to now without self-criticism,” Halford told the Phoenix New Times in a new interview.

“It doesn’t matter how many records you’ve made, there’s always a new experience you can get with a new producer. We’ve always made that perfectly clear; we know the value of recording with an outside producer. On [Priest's latest album] Firepower, I was encouraged, coached and captured.”

In recent years, Halford has appeared alongside Five Finger Death Punch, Babymetal and In This Moment, and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi recently said he’d like to work with his old friend. Halford confirmed more guest appearances were in his sights. “I was in the dressing room with Tobias from Ghost, and we talked about collaborative opportunities too," he said. "It’s fun for musicians to step into each other's world. It’s like different football teams — it’s the same game but a different play. I’m just very curious to see where my voice can fit in.”

While he didn’t discuss it, there’s at least a possibility Halford could step outside his usual genre. “I love heavy-metal music more than anything in the world, but I’m equally drawn to Michael Buble or Michael Feinstein,” he noted. “I love that big-band experience. And then going in completely the opposite direction.”

Judas Priest are currently touring Europe in support of Firepower, which came out in March. They return to the U.S. for more dates in August.